Latin Therapy

Latin Therapy is an informal reading group. All levels of Latin are very welcome. We meet on Fridays, 3.00 to 4.30pm in the Board Room, to translate and discuss a text from the history of science, technology or medicine. This is an opportunity to brush up your Latin by regular practice, and if a primary source is giving you grief, we'd love to help you make sense of it over tea and biscuits!

To be added to the mailing list, or to suggest a text, please contact Arthur Harris.

History and purpose

The Cambridge Latin Therapy Group first began meeting in 2003, organized by PhD students under the supervision of Nick Jardine. The initial goal was to provide an environment where students could share difficult Latin texts, usually discovered in the course of their own research. The group has met weekly during term time for an hour and a half, collectively working through Latin texts for which there is typically no available translation. It was not long before we recognized the need for professional support, and began to employ a language tutor during our regular meetings. Latin Therapy has now published three booklets, while our selections have ranged from letters, poems and medical recipes, to inscriptions on astronomical instruments. Recent topics include sundials, alchemy and monsters. From time to time the group also organises social events and field trips.